The Rookie
by LegitElizabethWWEFan
Summary: (AU) A new FBI Agent named Dr. Lauren Hall joins the BAU. For her first case, she must work closely with fellow agent Dr. Spencer Reid. But the two find out that finding the murderous UnSub will be easier than working together. First story in "The Rookie" trilogy, please review!
1. Chapter 1

**So, I've decided to post my first ever _Criminal Minds_ fanfiction. This is the first story in a trilogy that I plan on doing. The three stories will play like a typical episode of _Criminal Minds_, but they might not be the same amount of chapters.**

**Anyways, here's chapter 1!... obviously. I apologize for it being a little on the short side, but I just wanted to get the boring introduction part out of the way before getting into the good stuff! :)**

**I own nothing in connection with _Criminal Minds_.**

**So please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

The Rookie

Chapter 1

FBI Agent Aaron Hotchner sat patiently at his desk, waiting for the impending arrival of the new FBI agent. He wasn't really looking forward to having a new person on the team because he felt as though he already had enough agents on the BAU who were doing a great job catching the worst criminals in the United States. Aaron felt that having a rookie on the team would just be an unwanted burden on the BAU. But unfortunately, Aaron didn't have a say in the matter; the rookie would be joining the team whether he liked it or not.

Aaron frowned and bit the inside of his lip. He tried to remain somewhat positive about the rookie. From what he had been told, the rookie profiler was twenty-eight years old, and held a Bachelor degree in Criminology, a Master's degree in Sociology, and a Ph.D. in Psychology. Also, the new agent had done a one year tour in Iraq, and had worked previously as a child psychologist. Needless to say, Aaron was very impressed by the unknown rookie's resume.

_Maybe I shouldn't be so annoyed about the rookie already_, he thought. _Besides, I don't even know them._

"Agent Hotchner?"

Aaron snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a woman's voice. He looked up from his desk and saw a woman in an FBI jacket. Aaron noticed that she didn't look nervous at all- rather, she looked calm yet determined.

"Hello," he replied. "You must be the new FBI agent to the BAU. I'm Agent Aaron Hotchner. You are?..."

"Dr. Lauren Hall. It's nice to meet you," replied the young woman.

"Same to you," said Aaron. "We already have a new case that we have to go out on. I'll introduce you to the rest of the team."

"Sounds good," said Lauren.

The two agents headed into the main part of the BAU. Multiple people were already there typing away, making Lauren a little nervous.

"Agents, I'd like you all to meet Dr. Lauren Hall. She's the newest profiler for the BAU, and she will travel with us for our cases," announced Aaron.

Lauren gave off a small smile and waved a little. She felt so out of place with the rest of the team. The blonde agent seemed friendly, but everyone else seemed slightly annoyed that there was someone new on the team.

_I guess they all forgot that they were all new to the FBI once_, thought Lauren.

"I'm Agent Jennifer Jareau, but you can call me J.J," said the blonde FBI Agent.

"Nice to meet you," said Lauren as the two women shook hands.

"I'm Agent Derek Morgan," said a tall, buff man with tattoos. He shook hands with Lauren. Lauren noticed how gentle he was, but he also seemed like he could become really angry at the drop of a hat.

"Emily Prentiss," said a dark-haired woman. She seemed a little snobby, but Lauren ignored the older woman's attitude. Her hand shake was quite firm, much to Lauren's surprise.

"I'm Agent David Rossi," said an older man with facial hair. He looked a lot older than Aaron, but he seemed more approachable than Aaron. He smiled when he shook Lauren's hand, causing her to smile back.

"Where's Reid?" asked Emily.

Before anyone could reply, a thin man with short, curly hair came into the room. He looked a little tired, but he didn't seem to be exhausted.

"Reid, this is Dr. Lauren Hall. She's the newest member to the BAU," explained Aaron.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Spencer Reid," said the younger man.

"It's nice to meet you," replied Lauren.

After all that was over, the team soon got back to work. Aaron had already told Lauren that the team wouldn't be leaving for the next case until tomorrow, but that didn't mean that there wasn't anything to do before then. Every agent was on their computer, looking up cases, suspects, and whatnot. Lauren was silently reading over case files when she heard Aaron speak.

"Lauren? Can I please talk to you in my office?"

"Of course," she replied. She quickly put down the folder she had in her hand and made her way into Aaron's office. She took a seat across from him and waited for what he had to say.

"Agent Hall, I just wanted to tell you now that during the case, you will be working with another agent closely. They will help you out with profiling, finding out information, and anything else that needs to occur. Since you've passed the physical tests, there is a good chance that you will also be working in the field. You'll be working closely with the same agent out in the field, too," explained Aaron.

"Alright then," replied Lauren. "May I please ask which agent I will be working with?"

"I'm thinking that Reid will be the one working with you. You both seem to be on the same page with the psychological aspects of the job," replied Aaron. "That's all I have for you now. You can go back to what you were doing."

"Thank you, Agent Hotchner," said Lauren before leaving.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. The other agents seemed friendly whenever they spoke to Lauren, but Lauren couldn't help but wonder if their friendliness was all an act. After all, she was the new girl- maybe they all felt like they had to be nice to her. Regardless, Lauren was nice, but she kept her guard up. But soon, she was able to go home.

"So, we will meet here tomorrow morning at seven in the morning. Don't be late," said Aaron. He looked directly at Lauren when he mentioned not being late, which annoyed Lauren. But she wisely chose to hold her tongue and not say anything. She did not want to annoy him, as well as anyone else on the team.

_I'll just have to keep my guard up until everyone's comfortable with me around_, thought Lauren as she left to head home for the day.

* * *

**There ya go! I hope you all enjoyed it. Again, I apologize for it being short. But I promise that the next chapter will be a lot longer! :)**

**Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 2! :)**

_- Elizabeth_


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here's another chapter for you guys! I'll admit that I had a little bit of trouble writing this chapter, but I did try my best.**

**Also, I realized my mistake about Prentiss. I apologize about that. I won't mention Prentiss again. I replaced her with Alex Blake (obviously). I apologize again for the confusion, and for my mistake.**

**I own nothing related to _Criminal Minds_.**

**Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

The Rookie

Chapter 2

The BAU team was now on the plane for their next case the next day. Lauren sat quietly on a couch playing Free Cell on her white iPhone 5. She quickly put her phone back in her pocket when Alex Blake began to hand out a case file to each team member.

"So, where are we going?" asked Spencer.

"Tarzana, California," replied Alex as she sat back down. "Three men were found there with multiple gunshot wounds to the head within a few days of each other. Their age range is thirty to forty years old; they all held good jobs; and they were single. Andrew Carter is thirty and worked as a bank manager; he was found on Monday. Michael Gord is thirty-three and worked as an executive chef at his own restaurant called Gord's; he was found on Wednesday. Walter Henderson is forty and worked for a major marketing firm; his body was found on Thursday."

"Were there any signs of robbery?" asked Agent Derek Morgan.

"Wallets belonging to the victim were found at each crime scene. Nothing seemed to be missing; credit cards and cash were still in the victims' wallets," replied Alex.

"So robbery isn't a motive," said David.

"Robbery is usually the main motive for why men are murdered. These victims were also more likely to be robbed because they were well off, and that fact was obvious. If robbery wasn't the motive, than the UnSub is most likely killing these men to feel more powerful," explained Spencer.

"So the UnSub must have some serious issues with their self-esteem if they're choosing to kill men who have a lot of money and power," said Lauren.

"I've already got Garcia looking through each victim's background for anything that could lead us to the killer," said JJ.

"Reid, I'm going to have you work with Lauren on mapping and whatnot. I know you can do it, but I need someone to work with her," spoke up Aaron.

"Alright then," replied Spencer. He seemed a little surprised, what with the sudden change of the tone in his voice and him raising his left eyebrow.

Lauren gave him a small, kind smile, though she felt bad for him. She was worried that Spencer would only think of her as an annoying kid, and she also worried that he wasn't going to be nice to her.

"When will we be landing?" asked Derek.

"In roughly ten minutes, so you all had better be ready," replied Aaron.

* * *

After the team got settled in Tarzana's police station, everyone was sent to do different things. While everyone else was busy with crime scenes, talking to the victims' families and what not, Spencer and Lauren were in the police station, reading maps and trying to create a profile for the UnSub.

"So the first body was found here…" remarked Lauren as she stabbed a thumbtack at the correct point.

"The second victim was found here," said Spencer. He put another thumbtack at the appropriate spot.

"And the third body was found here," said Lauren. She put the last thumbtack on the map before she and Spencer stood back to analyze their work.

"The victims' bodies are all found far apart from each other," said Spencer. "How we'll be able to know where the next victim will be found is basically impossible."

Lauren rolled her eyes at the last statement.

"Why did you roll your eyes?" asked Spencer annoyingly.

Lauren took off the necklace she was wearing- a gold chain with a small gold cross as its pendent- and with a pencil, she used it to create a perfect circle around all three tacks. She put the pencil back down before putting her necklace back on.

"It might not be correct later, but it's correct for now," she said.

"But that's only a guess. I prefer facts," retorted Spencer.

"If I'm wrong, I'll be more than happy to fix it. If I'm right, than you have nothing to worry about," replied Lauren. "Don't worry about it right this second."

Spencer was about to reply, but he was cut off by his phone ringing. He quickly answered it.

"Go ahead, Garcia."

"So, I've looked at the background of all of your victims. None of them have any kind of criminal record- save for a parking ticket on victim number one and a minor speeding ticket on victim number three- and they all were not affiliated with any religion or controversial group. They all seemed like loners," replied Penelope.

"Anything else?" asked Lauren.

There was a pause on the other end. Lauren immediately felt out of place. She left the room to talk to Derek about what Penelope had told them.

"Who's that?" asked Penelope.

"Her name is Dr. Lauren Hall. She's new to the team," explained Spencer.

"Huh. Is she nice?"

"I'll get back to you on that," replied Spencer.

"Alright then, I'll let you two get back to work. Garcia out!"

Spencer hung up right as Lauren as coming back into the room.

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine," replied Spencer. "What did Morgan say?"

"He's going to call Garcia later for an update," said Lauren. "We should get back to work."

* * *

_This rookie is going to drive me to suicide_, thought Spencer. Judging by how they had been working together, he wouldn't be surprised if this thought actually came true.

"I feel like the UnSub is like serial killer Aileen Wurnos. They both chose men as their victims, after all," said Lauren.

"Aileen committed robbery, too. There's no robbery here," replied Spencer.

"I know that. I didn't say that Wurnos and our UnSub are one and the same- there are some similarities, however. You can't deny that, Reid," said Lauren.

Spencer sighed in frustration.

"What's wrong, Reid? You don't like to be wrong?" asked Lauren.

"Knock it off, Hall," snapped Spencer.

"Sheesh, sorry," replied Lauren hastily. "I was only trying to be funny. Where's your sense of humour, Doctor?"

"I'm working and taking my job seriously, so my sense of humour isn't what I'm worried about," said Spencer matter-of-factly.

"Dr. Reid, are you implying that I do not take my job seriously? Because believe me, I do take this job seriously," spat Lauren.

"There's a difference between a joke and being rude, Hall."

"It's called sarcasm, Reid. I'd tell you the definition, but I wouldn't want to accidentally insult your intelligence. Besides, I use sarcasm to be funny, not to insult others."

Reid ran a hand over his face and sighed. But he quickly regained his professional composure as JJ entered the room.

"How's everything going?" she asked.

Lauren bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing. Reid sighed yet again before responding.

"Lauren made a guideline of where the UnSub might live, and where more bodies could be found," he said, pointing to the map that Lauren had drawn the circle on. "As for the profile… we're still working on that."

"I still don't understand why the UnSub is killing these men. With robbery off the table, that leaves little motive left. I highly doubt that the UnSub is killing for shits and giggles," added Lauren.

"We'll find out eventually, Lauren," said JJ. She was about to say something, but she was interrupted by her phone going off.

"Garcia?" asked Spencer.

"No, it's Will. I have to take this, excuse me," replied JJ as she left the room.

"What the hell was that?" asked Spencer.

"I was trying to…" started Lauren.

"Actually, don't answer that question," interrupted Spencer. He left the room to go talk to Derek, who was now standing outside the door.

Lauren grabbed her phone and texted her boyfriend of three years, Vincent Manning.

_So I'm convinced that my co-workers hate me, or they think that I'm stupid. I'm beginning to regret this_.

A few minutes later, she received a reply from him that instantly made her smile.

_Don't worry, babe. They'll see how amazing you are soon. Don't give up, beautiful. I love you, and I miss you and your baby blues ;)_

Lauren, noticing that Spencer was too busy talking to Derek to notice her, typed out a reply.

_You're the amazing one, hun. I'll keep you updated if I can. I love & miss you too, babe._

She put her phone away and began to sift through all of the crime scene photos yet again. When she looked at one of the photos from the crime scene of the second victim, she saw something that she hadn't noticed the first time. She immediately poked her head out the door to get Spencer. He stopped talking to Derek and looked over at Lauren.

"Reid," she said, "you need to see this. It's important."

* * *

**There ya go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

**Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 3! :D**

_- Elizabeth_


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so, so sorry that I haven't updated this particular fanfiction recently. The only reason I haven't uploaded a new chapter is because I've been dealing with a severe case of writer's block . But after watching lots of _Criminal Minds_ reruns, I finally managed to write a decent chapter! (Well, I think it's decent.)**

**I'll try to update this fanfiction as much as I can cause I know a lot of people love this story. I'll try my best!**

**I own nothing related to _Criminal Minds_.**

**Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

The Rookie

Chapter 3

"So you're telling me that because you spotted three sixes written sloppily in blood on the sidewalk where the second victim was found that the UnSub must be obsessed with hell and the Devil?" Spencer raised his right eyebrow with scepticism and smirked ever so slightly.

"It's merely a theory at the moment- and sure, it may sound like a ridiculous theory to you. But it's something. I didn't notice the symbol until now. I'd like to look at the crime scene photos from the first and last crime scene. The symbol is so small, we could have easily missed it from the other two crime scenes," replied Lauren as she raised her right eyebrow in return.

"It's a longshot," stated Spencer.

"But it's still something. We've already ruled out robbery, and we have no other theory for why the UnSub is killing," explained Lauren.

"Let's do it," said Spencer after a moment of silence.

The two agents proceeded to spend the next hour and a half studying the graphic crime scene photos. They eventually managed to find the three sixes written in blood at the other two crime scenes. They were written out small enough that could have easily been missed, but if you were look closely, they were as plain as day. The three photos- one from each crime scene- with the symbol shown were promptly hung up on the wall. Lauren had just finished hanging each photo up when David knocked on the door. Spencer quickly ushered the agent in the room.

"What do we got?" he asked.

"I was looking at the photos from the second crime scene, and I noticed that there were three sixes written out on the cement near the victim. Spencer and I looked through photos from the other two crime scenes, and we found the same symbol near the respective bodies. I'm starting to think that the UnSub has some sort of fascination with the Devil," said Lauren.

"If there is an implication of the Devil that is causing the UnSub to kill, then we'll have to figure out why they believe in the Devil, and why they feel like the Devil is making them kill," added Spencer.

"There's also a possibility that the UnSub is male, too," said David. "But why would someone feel as though the Devil is making them kill?"

"The UnSub could have a mental illness, and they truly believe that the Devil is telling them to kill these people," replied Spencer.

"Or," said Lauren, "it could just be a hoax for another motive. Using the Devil has a reason to kill opens up the possibility to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

"The first court case to use this defence tactic was in 1981, when Arne Cheyenne Johnson killed his landlord Alan Bono in Brookfield, Connecticut. Johnson pled not guilty and claimed that he had been possessed by the Devil. The judge rejected this defence, and Johnson was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter. So, this theory isn't all that unusual."

David and Spencer seemed to be stunned by what Lauren had just said. At least, that's what it seemed liked given by the blank stares she received. It took everything in her to not smirk in front of the two seasoned FBI Agents.

"The second theory is good, and it does make sense," mused David.

"But then we're back at square one," said Spencer.

"I actually think your theory makes a lot more sense," said Lauren as she turned to face Spencer. "I just feel like it makes the most sense in this case."

"You do make a good point," replied David.

David's phone suddenly rang.

"Hey, Hotch… Where?... Alright, I'll be there soon."

"Did they find another body?" asked Lauren.

David nodded. "Let's go."

"His name is Matthew Renner. He's thirty-three, and from the briefcase that we found in his car, he works in business," said Aaron.

"He fits the victimology," remarked Spencer.

"And nothing was taken, I assume," said David.

"Nothing," replied Aaron.

As the three agents continued to talk, Lauren found herself getting bored of the dialogue. She was more interested in finding the three sixes written in blood. She glanced over to where the body laid on the grassy field, hoping to find it. She quickly spotted it.

"I found it," announced Lauren.

"Found what?" asked Aaron. He clearly seemed to be puzzled by what Lauren had said.

The young woman walked over to the victim. It took less than a minute for her to find the bloody sixes. Instead of it being written on the ground- which would have been next to impossible because of the grass- it was written on a large rock a foot nearby.

"I found three sixes written in blood near the body of the second victim when I was looking over the crime scene photos. Reid and I examined photos from the other two victims, and we spotted the same symbol in blood at the respective crime scenes. Now that that symbol is at this crime scene, I think Reid's theory is holding true."

"Which is?" Aaron furrowed his brows.

"That the UnSub is killing our victims for the Devil," said Spencer. "The UnSub believes that they have to kill."

* * *

**There ya go! I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter. I know I sure did. :)**

**Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 4! :D**

_- Elizabeth_


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's a new chapter! I'm hoping to get this story back on the map... and yes, I'm trying to make it up to all of my readers for the long stretch between chapter 2 and chapter 3. But I mean it when I say that I will try my damn hardest to update this particular story more often. I can't work magic, but I will update this a lot! :)**

**I own nothing related to _Criminal Minds_.**

**Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

The Rookie

Chapter Four

Spencer and Lauren were now back in the room that they had been in previously. Derek and Alex were interviewing the family of the latest victim, Aaron and David were still at the crime scene, and JJ was busy talking to the head detective. Spencer and Lauren were editing the map and looking over the crime scene photos again.

"I'm glad that you found that symbol at the crime scenes," remarked Spencer before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Me too," said Lauren. "Before, it seemed as if these murders didn't have an actual purpose. But now, we have a legitimate reason as to why the UnSub is killing. This profile is really starting to come together."

Spencer nodded silently.

"Also, this latest murder proves that my hypothesis regarding the map was correct. The last victim's body was found in the same radius as the other three. The UnSub is operating in a specific location that he is familiar with. This means that he is either from this area, or he currently lives in this area… or both, for that matter," added Lauren.

"That does make sense," said Spencer.

"See? My little 'guess' was right after all," replied Lauren with a small laugh.

Spencer looked up from the map on the wall and raised his right eyebrow.

"Oh, relax," said Lauren, "I'm only messing with you. Hell, I didn't know whether my circle was correct or not. If I had to be perfectly honest, I stole the idea from a scene in a movie called _Letters to Juliet_, when Amanda Seyfried's character does the exact same thing when she helped a woman find her long-lost love. Weird? Yes. Pathetic? Absolutely! But it worked, right?"

"Are you serious?" asked Spencer.

"Unfortunately, yes," responded Lauren. She laughed at Spencer's reaction, which was a mixture of shock and disgust. "Yes it's silly, but it is the God's honest truth."

Spencer shook his head.

"You call yourself a doctor, but yet you take ridiculous chances like that?"

"I'm not actually a doctor, Reid- I hold a Ph.D. in Psychology," explained Lauren. "And before you brag, I am fully aware that you have three . in three different disciplines. But then again, you're a genius. I, however, am not a genius. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that you have more . than me."

"Well, at least you know your place," mumbled Spencer. While his voice had lowered significantly, Lauren still heard what he had said. But she chose not to say anything to him about it. After all, he said that she knew her place- why not keep it that way?

"I think we should get back to work," she said.

* * *

"So when was the last time you saw him, Mrs. Renner?" asked Derek.

"Last night," replied the woman. She was clearly distraught by the news that her husband had been found murdered.

"At what time?" asked Alex.

"Around nine o'clock, I think," answered Mrs. Renner. "He came home from work, changed his clothes, and left without saying a word. I assumed he went out to the strip club because he put on more cologne and dressed nice. He goes every night." A frown appeared on her face when she mentioned that.

"I take it that that bothered you," said Derek.

"It did bother me a lot, but I convinced myself that, as long as he came home to me every night, that what he was doing wasn't cheating. I know that sounds odd, but that was the only way I could keep myself from confronting him about the issue." The wife used a balled up piece of Kleenex to dry her cheeks, where tears were streaming down.

"Was he violent?" asked Alex.

"Oh, no, never," replied Mrs. Renner with a gasp. "It's just that… when we fight… we get extremely loud and verbal. We would scream at each other during arguments, and it scared our daughter to death. We eventually made… a pact, if you will… to never argue again… for the sake of our daughter."

"Can you think of anyone who wanted to hurt him?" questioned Alex.

"I'm sorry," said Mrs. Renner, "I honestly can't think of anybody. Sure we fought, but he never went looking for a fight. Even when he was drunk, he never became violent, or even loud."

"Thank you. Again, we're really sorry for your loss," said Derek.

The FBI Agents soon searched the house after they finished talking to the victim's wife. The house itself was really neat, save for a couple toys that were on the floor in the living room. A few family photos hung on the wall far apart from each other on the cream-coloured walls in the living room, and in the master bedroom. The furniture in each room was in warm shades of brown, and it all looked very cozy. Nothing looked out of place, and everything in the house looked to be somewhat expensive. Then again, the home didn't feel like a museum- it felt like an actual home.

"Judging by the home, this guy looks as though he had the perfect life," remarked Derek as he and Alex began to head back to the Tarzana police station.

"But you heard what his wife said- he went to a strip club every night, and they couldn't argue without it turning into a shouting match," said Alex.

"You do have a good point," mused Derek as a metaphorical light bulb suddenly went off in his head. "I'm gonna call Garcia and see if she can find out if the other victims frequented strip clubs, too." He grabbed out his phone and dialled her number.

"Give it you me, beautiful man," answered Penelope defiantly.

"Hey, mama, I need you to work your magic right now," said Derek.

"For you, handsome, anything," replied Penelope.

"See if you can find out if the first three victims visited strip clubs in the area. Any club will do. Our latest victim went to a strip club every night, so we're thinking that this might be the one thing that all the victims had in common."

"Alright…" The line on the other end became quiet as Penelope began to search for this information.

"Okay, so from what I can see, the first two victims visited the El Loca strip club in Tarzana twice a week on totally different days. Andrew Carter went there on Fridays and Sundays, while Michael Gord visited on Mondays and Saturdays. Michael Gord went to the exact same club also, but he visited three times a week- on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Oh, and since you probably would've asked, I also checked to see if your newest guy went to the same club as the other guys, and sure enough, that's his place of choice."

"You're the best, baby girl, thanks," said Derek with a slight smile on his face.

"You're very welcome, hun," replied Penelope before she hung up.

* * *

"Alright, that helps a lot with the profile. Thanks for letting Hotch and Rossi know. I'll let Hall and JJ know."

"No problem, Reid," replied Derek. "Hey, by the way- how's the rookie?"

Spencer looked up and saw that Lauren was still busy talking to JJ. Both women had yet to hear about the new development in the case. JJ seemed genuinely nice to Lauren, and the younger woman was responding well to whatever JJ was saying.

"Alright," replied Spencer.

"Liar," said Derek. "C'mon, what's she like?"

"Since she's not here, I'll tell you- she hates to be wrong. She's also really sarcastic, and she's a bit of a risk taker. To be honest, I'm having a bit of trouble trying to take her seriously." Spencer rubbed his forehead with his other hand and sighed.

"Sounds like my kind of girl," laughed Derek. "Look Pretty Boy, I know you two sound like polar opposites, but c'mon- it doesn't sound like she means any harm."

"I know, but I am having some trouble working with her," admitted Spencer.

"Alright then, here's an offer for you: if you two finish the profile by the time Blake and I are back, I'll sit down and talk to her- alone. How 'bout that?"

"I think you should wait until this case is over. It's nothing against you, but she's as focused as it gets. She hates distractions," replied Spencer.

"Works for me," said Derek. "I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, bye," said Spencer. He ended the call right as JJ and Lauren walked in.

"What do you got?" asked Lauren.

"Morgan and Blake learned from the Renner's wife that our latest victim frequented a local strip club every night called El Loca. Garcia looked to see if our other victims visited there also, and they did. The first two victims went twice a week, while the third victim went three times a week."

"So we have our connection," said JJ.

"This does tweak the previous theory we had about the UnSub killing for the Devil," added Lauren.

The two older agents frowned, not understanding what their newer, younger colleague was trying to say. So Lauren began to explain.

"A strip club is something that many, if not all very religious people in society look down upon. There's naked women, cursing, alcohol, possible drug use, and possibly sex happening. Oh, and said sex is definitely premarital. Most or all of these things go against many different religions. In Catholicism and Christianity alone, they prohibit cursing, drug use, and premarital sex. Add to that all the repercussions that those things can cause that are also considered unholy- pregnancy out of wedlock, infidelity, destroying your body, hurting your love ones- everything goes against religion.

"To summarize, this means that these murders are being committed by someone who belongs to a religion, and they also believe strongly in that religion. The UnSub believes that they're doing God's work- getting rid of sinners. Basically, the UnSub is pretending to be the Devil, so that he can take people, who he believes to be sinners, to Hell."

A stunned silence filled the room. Lauren gave a small smile in satisfaction, having been proud of herself for figuring out a good chunk of the UnSub's profile on her own. She didn't want to feel all high and mighty just because of that, but she was still damn proud of herself.

"I'm going to call Hotch and let him know that the profile's ready," said Spencer. He abruptly left the room to make the call.

"Damn… you're good," said a now breathless JJ.

"Thank you very much. Should we gather up all the police officers and detectives now so we can deliver the profile?" replied Lauren.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," answered JJ with a smile on her face.

* * *

**There ya go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

**Also, I apologize for not revealing the profile in this chapter, but I think this specific chapter is long enough as it is. The UnSub's profile will be in the next chapter- I promise. :) Besides, I love a good cliffhanger. :P**

**Please review, and don't forget to stay tune for chapter 5! :D**

_- Elizabeth_


	5. Chapter 5

**I sincerely apologize for not updating earlier... I was going to update this story (and my other stories) during reading week, but I was too busy studying to make time to do that. Again, I apologize, but I hope you guys like it! I'll try harder to update this fanfiction and my other fanfictions on a regular basis.**

**I'd also appreciate if you guys could please leave me a review. Even a review with constructive criticism is fine! I love reading feedback from my readers... and suggestions never hurt. :)**

**I own nothing related to _Criminal Minds_.**

**Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D **

* * *

The Rookie

Chapter Five

"The person that we're looking is a male in his mid to late thirties, or even his early forties. He dresses nicely, and also acts nice, if somewhat awkward. His personality does not stand out against everyone else in society. So when he gets arrested, those who know him will most likely be surprised that he killed all these men," started Aaron.

"This is a guy who follows Catholicism and Christianity deeply- even more deeply than the average individual who practices religion," spoke up Derek. "He believes in every word written in the Bible, and he also believes that anyone who goes against the Bible is evil. This is what motivates him to kill these people."

"He considers the people who visit this strip club- or rather, any strip club- to be a sinner," added Lauren. "These individuals are seen as products of the Devil in the eyes of the UnSub. Because of this, the UnSub kills them to get rid of those he calls sinners- those who go against the views of Catholicism and Christianity. The UnSub also believes that he is killing for God, and that by killing these individuals, he is doing God's work. This is how he can justify killing these individuals."

"The UnSub isn't really open about his religious beliefs when talking to family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances because he wants to blend in with the rest of society. He also doesn't want to alienate those he knows and associates himself with by exercising his religious beliefs. But once he confronts someone that he considers to be a sinner, he will become extremely angry and enraged, which will get him to eventually kill them," revealed Alex.

"The one thing that all of the victims all had in common was that they all visited the El Loca strip club on a regular basis. Each of the victims' schedules were different in their own way, but they were consistent in visiting this place. Because of this, we believe that the UnSub kidnaps the victim from the club as all of the patrons are leaving when the place closes. He then proceeds to kill them in his vehicle, and then he dumps their body in a secondary location in the local parameter that we've created," said Spencer.

"The UnSub has dumped all of the victims' bodies in the same parameter, so we believe that he lives somewhere in that parameter. He's comfortable killing and dumping the victims' bodies in that particular area because it's where he's the most comfortable. This shows that he's either a native to the area, or has lived here long enough to be comfortable enough to commit the murders there," said David.

"We'd like to urge everyone involved to please be careful because we believe that the UnSub is armed and extremely dangerous. Thank you," concluded JJ.

The local detectives and police officers finished taking their notes and soon left to get back to work. The BAU agents split up once again, with David and Alex going to speak with the head detective, while Aaron and JJ went to deal with the horrendous media circus that was going on outside of the police station. Meanwhile, Derek, Spencer, and Lauren went into the room where the map and crime scene photos were located. They all sat around the large circular table and began to talk amongst themselves, having nothing else to do for now.

"The media circus is unreal today because of us," remarked Lauren. "I'm sure that by now, both the members of law enforcement and the citizens of Tarzana are pissed off that we've turned their precious town on its ear with our presence. We're quite the nuisance, aren't we?"

"I guess… but they'll be thanking us later," said Derek with a laugh.

"Our hard work better be noticed, or I'm gonna be one angry FBI Agent," replied Lauren. She joined in with Derek's laughter.

"I'm going to get another coffee. Do you guys want some?" asked Spencer.

"No thank you," answered Lauren. She still wasn't finished the cup that she already had.

"I'll have one, please- black," replied Derek.

Spencer nodded in response and left to go grab the cups of coffee. Derek decided to take this opportunity to pick the new FBI Agent's brain. Besides, he was curious about the young woman. Derek didn't find her interesting in a romantic sense- he just wanted to see what she was all about. He also wanted to see if she was as much of a pain as Spencer had previously made her out to be.

"So," he said, "where are you from, Dr. Hall?"

"I'm from New York City," replied Lauren. "But now I live in Springfield, Virginia. It's not that far from Quantico- just a half-hour or so drive. By the way, you can call me Lauren if that makes you more comfortable."

"Whatever you say... Lauren. Where did you go to school?" asked Derek with a small smirk.

"Well, I went to Princeton for my double Bachelor degrees, and then I went to Yale for my Ph.D.," said Lauren. She returned his smirk, which caused Derek to chuckle lightly.

"Wow… impressive. Is there anything else I should know about you?"

"Um… well, I did a year-long tour in Iraq, where I provided free psychiatric help for children who have been deeply affected by the war there. After that, I worked for a couple years as a child psychologist for before I joined the FBI."

"Damn…" Derek was quite impressed by the newest agent of the BAU. He hadn't suspected most of those accomplishments. The look of genuine surprise etched on his face almost caused a giggle to escape Lauren's lips. Luckily for her, she managed to fight off the urge and keep a straight face.

"Please be honest… has Reid told you how much of a bitch I am?" asked Lauren with a slight smirk on her face.

"Well… yes, he has," replied Derek sheepishly. "But I like you. I don't think you're a bitch."

"That's because we're having a regular conversation that's not about work. Now, if we were talking while working, or talking about work… well, you might be singing a totally different tune," remarked Lauren.

"Maybe that's why Reid doesn't like you… he doesn't know who you really are," laughed Derek.

"I guess that's it." Lauren sighed and absent-mindedly twirled a lock of her dark brown hair around her finger. Her phone suddenly went off, telling her that she had a new text from her boyfriend. She stopped twirling her hair to grab her phone to read it.

_Hey, babe. I'm gonna be working late tonight & tomorrow night. Sorry. I love you._

She sighed and quickly sent him a reply.

_That's fine. Hope to see you soon! Love you too! :)_

"Who was that?"

Lauren sent her phone down and looked back up to face Derek.

"That was just a text from my boyfriend," she said.

"You have a boyfriend?" asked Derek in shock. It's not that he didn't think that she could get a boyfriend- after all, this woman was beautiful as hell. The reason that he was surprised was because she didn't look like someone who would be in a serious relationship.

"Yep," answered Lauren, "but he's not an FBI Agent like me. He's actually a sous chef for Olive Garden in Springfield."

"And how long have you two kids been going out?"

"Three years… his name is Vincent Manning. Oh, and thanks for referring to us as 'kids'… I appreciate it," replied Lauren. She playfully rolled her eyes and laughed.

Derek joined in with the newer agent's laughter. He was about to respond to her comment, but Spencer had now re-entered the room with a coffee in each hand. He gave Derek his cup before sitting back down with his own coffee.

"What took you so long?" joked Lauren.

"Why do you care?" snapped Spencer.

"Oh c'mon, Pretty Boy… she was only teasing. I do it all the time, and you don't get upset about that," said Derek.

"Alright… I'm sorry, Lauren," said Spencer with a calm, even voice.

"Apology accepted," replied Lauren. She gave him a small smile to show her sincerity, and he returned it. Lauren was going to continue talking, but the sound of Derek's phone ringing made her lips shut. Derek grabbed his phone out of his pocket to answer, a smile gracing his lips when he saw who was calling him.

"Hey mama, what do you got?" he answered.

"Well my burning love hunk, I have some news for you," replied Penelope seductively.

"And what might that be?" questioned Derek as a smirk formed on his lips. "I hope they're good news."

"Well… not exactly. It's a bit of both, actually. The good news is that I've managed to find male individuals in that parameter who are known to be religious freaks that follow Catholicism and/or Christianity, and also have criminal records who aren't dead or in jail."

"So what's the bad news?"

"There's exactly three hundred fifty-seven people who meet all of those requirements," admitted Penelope. "I'll keep trying to narrow the names down, but it's not gonna be easy I'll keep you posted."

"Well, at least you can have more fun narrowing down that list to one name. Thanks for the update, baby girl," replied Derek.

"Mmm, you're welcome, handsome man," said Penelope before hanging up and getting back to work by narrowing down that list of names to find the UnSub.

Derek smiled as he hung up the phone and put it back in the pocket of his jeans.

"I take it that that was Garcia?" asked Lauren.

"Yeah," answered Derek. "She's been digging through potential UnSubs that fit the profile. As of right now, three hundred fifty-seven men fit our profile. So, Garcia's going to try and do some more digging to see if she can shorten the list."

"Three hundred fifty-seven men are known to follow Christianity and/or Catholicism intensely in the Tarzana area? Sheesh," said Lauren. She sighed and shook her head in disbelief.

"Apparently so…" Derek lost his train of thought when he saw JJ and Aaron come back into the police station.

"You should probably give them the news," said Spencer.

"Yeah… I'll go do that now," replied Derek. He got up and left the room to go talk to JJ and Aaron. This meant that Spencer and Lauren were alone- again.

_Just my luck,_ thought Lauren annoyingly. She was immediately uncomfortable with this new development. Derek was kind and comforting, and he treated her like a nice little sister instead of an annoying little sister. In contrast, Spencer was somewhat condescending towards her, and he didn't seem to get her or her sense of humour. Lauren bit her lower lip and decided to focus her attention back onto the crime scene photos, ignoring the fact that she had already looked over all of them a hundred or so times beforehand.

"Is something wrong?" asked Spencer.

"No," replied Lauren. "I'm fine."

Spencer decided to not press the issue further. He sat down and distracted himself by looking over the map yet again. He couldn't entirely focus on this task, though- his eyes kept drifting towards the young agent looking at the photos that laid scattered across the large round table. She seemed to be absorbed in what she was doing, but Spencer could easily tell that she was only doing that to ignore him. But it's not like he could blame her for acting this way; their interactions up to this point had been awkward and borderline hostile. Spencer soon realized that the only way he was going to be able to make her feel like part of the team was to start treating her like a part of the team. After all, Lauren was going to be in the BAU for now on, so he might as well start getting used to having her around.

* * *

**There ya go! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. :)**

**Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 6! :D**

_- Elizabeth_


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, I have a new chapter! It's definitely one of the more interesting chapters I've written (at least that's how I feel). I hope you guys will feel the same way. :)**

**I'm sure you guys are wondering when this story will end. Well, I will try to get it to ten chapters, but I'm not making any promises. Please let me know how many chapters you want there to be in this story in a review, with ten chapters altogether being the most allowed. Besides, there are two more stories that will be coming out, too. It is a trilogy, after all. ;P**

**I own nothing related to _Criminal Minds_.**

**Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

The Rookie

Chapter Six

"Lauren, could we please talk?"

Lauren glanced up from the crime scene photos she had been staring at aimlessly for the last five minutes or so. She bit the inside of her cheek and cleared her throat. "About the case, right?"

"No," replied Spencer, "it's about something else."

"I'm sorry Spencer, but can it please wait? We're on an important case right now. Once it's over and we're on the plane ride back home, I'll be more than happy to listen to you," said Lauren defiantly. The absolute last thing she wanted at that moment was for Spencer to lecture her about her behaviour, or whatever he had planned to say. She didn't give a shit if he reported her to Aaron for snapping at him- she would deal with him when and if the situation presented itself.

"I just wanted to apologize for being so hard on you," said Spencer. He grinned at her in an attempt to show his sincerity.

"Oh?" said Lauren. She was caught off guard by his words- she had not seen that coming.

"I mean it," went on Spencer, "I should've been nicer to you earlier. I just wasn't expecting your sense of humour, and your intelligence. I guess I underestimated you."

"Wow, I haven't heard a guy admit that he underestimated a woman, and that he was wrong," replied Lauren. "So I guess I have to forgive you, right?" She raised her right eyebrow in a cocky manner. Spencer couldn't help but laugh a little. He would have responded, but Derek entered the room before he had a chance to say anything.

"Guys, I just got off the phone with Garcia… I think we found our UnSub," revealed Derek.

Spencer and Lauren jumped out of their chairs and followed Derek to where the rest of the team and the Tarzana detectives were sitting.

"What do we know about him?" asked Lauren almost immediately.

"His name is Tom Marks, and he's thirty-eight, and works as a car salesman" answered Aaron. "He's not married, and has no kids."

"His parents died in a carbon monoxide accident when he was eighteen years old. He was in San Diego visiting his grandparents when they died- that was confirmed a long time ago," remarked Alex. "He also has no siblings."

"He's a member of a local church here in the city, and he was born and raised in that parameter that was created. He hasn't moved around much in his lifetime," said David.

"The only charge on him was a robbery charge back when he twenty, where he spent five years out of an eight year sentence," remarked the detective. "What makes you think he's our guy?"

"My theory is that he either practiced religion a little bit, or never practiced it at all prior to his robbery arrest. Once he was in jail, he became a born-again Christian like a lot of other prisoners. When he was released, he most likely vowed to never commit any evil ever again. So when he sees others commit what he feels are evil acts, he kills them in an effort to please God," explained Lauren.

"So why doesn't he target robbers?" asked a local police officer.

"My guess? Maybe a strip club had a negative effect on his life one way or another," replied Lauren. A light bulb suddenly went off in her head. "Do we happen to know what his parents did for a living?"

"No, but I'll call Garcia and ask," said Aaron. He grabbed his phone and made the call.

"Hello, Hotch," she greeted in her usual positive manner.

"Garcia, I need for you to find out what Tom Marks' parents did for a living," requested Aaron. "As a matter of fact, pull up any and all jobs they ever did."

"Okay…" Penelope typed and searched for only a moment before she found what she was looking for. "What do I need to find specifically?"

"See if either parent worked for a strip club at all."

"Well, the dad never did- he worked in a steel factory up until his untimely death. But the mom- oh, wow." Penelope raised her eyebrows in surprise and sighed lightly.

"What is it?"

"The mother was a stripper slash bartender at El Loca for six years. She quit after finding out she was pregnant. She later got two jobs at two separate restaurants, where she was a waitress at one, and a bartender at the other," revealed Penelope.

"Thanks, Garcia." Aaron hung up and looked at his team. "The mom was a stripper until she got pregnant with Tom."

"There's the connection," said JJ.

"I'm sorry," said the now annoyed detective, "but you have no proof that he killed those men. All you have is a goddamn profile!"

"And he fits that profile," countered David sternly.

"And when I present that to the judge, he'll ask what other evidence we have, and we'll have nothing!" cried the detective.

"The profile of a person does say a lot about them. If we don't find him, we'll have another dead man on your hands," replied Aaron.

"You're willing to let yet another innocent man die because of that? Trust us- once we find him, we'll have all the evidence the D.A. will need," added Lauren sharply. Aaron glanced at her, surprised that she'd go up against the detective. Though he never encouraged his team to have a heated debate with the local police, he decided to not call her out on it- yet.

"And how the hell do you know, Doctor?" spat the detective.

"Tom Marks is male, and he's in the age range that we said when we gave out the profile- mid to late thirties or early forties," began Lauren in a professional, albeit frustrated voice. "He works as a car salesman, a job where you have to dress and act nice. He seems like a quiet, kind man, which is the furthest thing from unusual. He follows Christianity, and he's been following it since he was in jail for that robbery charge all those years ago. But you wouldn't know that he's religious unless he was going to kill you because he wants to put people at ease and not make them uncomfortable by bringing that up. That's what car salesmen do- they get people to trust them with kindness and ease.

"Like everyone else, he has a dark side- and his dark side consists of killing people that he feels are sinners. He might feel like what his mother did was wrong, or she constantly told him how wrong her previous job was in order to make him think that way. He wants to get rid of all sinners for God in order to please Him. He's on a mission- and it will only end when he is either arrested, or killed. There is no other way. There is no endgame coming- his killing spree has been his endgame the entire time. We need to get him off the streets before he kills someone else."

The entire room was filled with so much loud silence, it could have been deafening. One could have easily heard a pin drop without even trying. The detective looked as pale as a ghost, while the rest of the BAU looked at her like she had suddenly grown a second head. But Lauren wasn't fazed in the slightest. She simply smiled and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Aaron was the first member of the team to regain his bearings.

"Rossi and I will talk to any remaining family Marks might have. Blake, you and Morgan go to his workplace and talk to his colleagues. JJ, keep the media at bay and make sure this new piece of information does not get out for now- we don't need an angry mob trying to find and kill Marks. Reid, you and Hall stay here in case Garcia calls again."

Everyone nodded before heading off to do their thing, though everyone still seemed to be a little shaken by Lauren's speech. She couldn't help but smile brightly- she didn't want to come off as a cocky bitch, but she was glad that she had managed to prove to the BAU why she was in the FBI in the first place.

"You sounded a lot like me."

Lauren snapped out of thoughts and looked at Spencer. The two were still in the same room, though they were now sitting near the phone around a medium-sized rectangular desk.

"Did that bother you?" she asked.

"No, but it did surprise the hell out of me," admitted Spencer.

"I could tell," laughed Lauren. "But honestly, you can relax with knowing this; I'm smart, but I am still the furthest thing from an actual genius. You'll always be a hell of a lot smarter than me."

"At least you know that," mused Spencer.

"Obviously. It's kind of hard not to," said Lauren. "God, I hope we do find this guy… this case just keeps getting on my damn nerves."

"Honestly, I couldn't agree with you more," replied Spencer. This case was one of the stranger ones he'd ever been involved with, and as much as he loved his job, it just needed to end now.

* * *

**There ya go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

**Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 7! :D**

_- Elizabeth_


	7. Chapter 7

**Finally, I've uploaded a new chapter! Granted it's extremely short, but I'm just trying to build everything up. I know that makes me a horrible person, but trust me guys, it'll be worth it. :)**

**Speaking of build up, I'm warning you all now- this story will only be 10 chapters long. Before you get upset, remember this- there are still 2 more stories that I plan on doing in this trilogy, which I've called _The Rookie_ trilogy (so catchy and creative, I know). So there will be more stories with Dr. Lauren Hall in them! :D  
**

**Also, I've recently started 2 new stories: _You Have Met Your Match_, which is a fanfiction based off the _Total Drama_ series; and _Total Anti-Diva_, which combines the WWE and the reality TV show _Total Divas_. If you could please read and review those new stories, I'd greatly appreciate it! Of course, if you're not interested in the _Total Drama_ series and/or wrestling, than I totally understand... really. :)**

**I own nothing related to _Criminal Minds_.**

**Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

The Rookie

Chapter Seven

"I didn't know Reid had a dark-haired twin sister."

Alex smirked as she tried to find a parking spot near the UnSub's workplace. "I don't think they're related, Morgan."

"Did you not hear the things that came out of her mouth? She profiled the guy better than we all did earlier. She profiled anything and everything about Marks thoroughly. C'mon Blake, you gotta agree- that was impressive," replied Derek.

"I never said I wasn't impressed," she countered. "I'm just saying that I don't think she's a genius like Reid."

Derek sighed. "I so wasn't expecting that. Plus, what the hell made the detective question us? That is something I'll never understand."

"What are you talking about now?" asked Alex with confusion.

"These goddamn detectives call us for help to find these sick bastards. But once we get there, they act like we're ruining everything they've done up to that point. I feel like we're underappreciated. Besides, we don't have to help them," explained Derek. He hated to vent his frustrations to people- especially to the other BAU members- but he just couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry," he said before Alex could respond, "I'm just frustrated."

"Morgan, it's okay," she replied. "You're human. It's okay to get upset." She finally parked the large black SUV and killed the engine. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go."

The agents got out of the SUV and made their way to the Honda car dealership, where Penelope had told them Tom Marks was employed. They entered the building and were quickly greeted by a way too enthusiastic salesman.

"Welcome," he began. "What are you two looking for?"

"I'm SSA Morgan, this is SSA Blake. We're with the FBI," replied Derek. "We're looking for Tom Marks."

The salesman was quiet for a moment. "I'll check and see if he clocked in today. What is this about?" He walked to his cuticle and began to look through a large navy blue binder.

"We need to talk to him about something he might be involved in," answered Alex.

"Well… you won't find him here," said the salesman. "He didn't clock into work today. Now that I'm looking at this, he hasn't shown up for three days, including today. But he's still employed. His electronic check did go through yesterday."

"Do you know where he might be?" asked Derek. "It's important that we talk to him."

"Probably at home. He doesn't call in unless he's really sick, and even then he doesn't get sick all that often." The salesman set the binder down and looked back at the agents. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more help."

"It's okay, thank you for your help," replied Alex.

Derek and Alex left the car dealership as calmly and as fast as they could. As Alex started up the car, Derek called Aaron.

"Agent Hotchner."

"Hotch, Blake and I just found out that Marks hasn't shown up to work in three days, but he's still employed there. One of his co-workers said that he might be at home."

"We've come up with just as much as you," said Aaron. "His only remaining family are his grandparents on his mom's side, and they live in Rhode Island. We called them, and they haven't heard from him in almost a year."

"Sounds like we'll have to check out Marks' place," remarked Derek. "Why don't we all meet back at the police station and regroup?"

"Alright, see you there." Aaron hung up before Derek could respond.

"Any luck?" asked David.

"No. Morgan said that Marks hasn't been at work in three days. We're going back to the police station to see if we can prove that Marks really is behind all this," replied Aaron.

"Sounds good." David seemed to suddenly be lost in thought.

"Something wrong?" asked Aaron.

"I'm still trying to figure out why you didn't take Hall aside after she ranted at the detective. Normally, you'd get her out of the room and lecture her right after she was finished," explained David.

"I should have," said Aaron, "and I still plan on talking to her. She was doing what she felt was the right thing. I was going to clarify things to the detective anyways."

"She just did a better job than you'd expected," added David. "There's nothing wrong with that. I like her anyways- she seems to know what the hell she's doing."

"Let's hope this isn't just a one-time fluke," said Aaron as he parked. "C'mon, we gotta prove that Marks is the UnSub before he kills again."

* * *

**There ya go! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

**Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 8! :D**

_- Elizabeth_


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! I'm so sorry for not updating this earlier... I'm juggling this, two WWE fanfictions, and university, so I'm stretched out quite thin. But I have a new chapter up, so there's something! :)**

**Also, I've started a newer story about the WWE called _Total Anti-Diva_. If you're interested in the WWE, I'd love for you to check it out and (maybe) leave a review! It would really mean a lot to me. :)**

**I own nothing related to _Criminal Minds_.**

**Anyways, please read & review! :D**

* * *

The Rookie

Chapter Eight

The FBI Agents and the detectives were now back at the local police station. The detective was furious that the agents couldn't find Marks at all. The detective was even angrier that they had nothing to tie Marks to the murders. It looked as though their guy was going to get away with everything.

Lauren was on the phone to Penelope in a last-ditch effort to find something- anything- to tie Marks to these crimes. Once she got her answer, Lauren walked out of the adjacent room, and into a verbal sparring like she had never seen before.

"You cannot enter his home without a search warrant!" cried the detective.

"We know that," replied Aaron calmly. "We just need to find something to tie him to these crimes. Once we have that, we'll be able to search his home."

"We're running out of time," spoke up a local police officer.

"We know that," responded David. "We're doing everything we can."

"Yeah… still not enough," mumbled the detective.

"What did you just say?" asked Derek. He glared at the detective.

"Guys…" said Lauren.

"You guys are with the FBI, and yet you haven't arrested him yet. Why are you guys even here?" said the detective. He stared at Derek square in the eye.

"You guys asked our team to help out," replied JJ.

"Guys…" repeated Lauren.

"This is ridiculous," said the detective. "This guy is going to kill again!"

"Excuse me!"

Everyone turned around to look at Lauren. By now, she seemed really pissed off.

"Can I help you?" snapped the detective.

"Actually, yes you can," answered Lauren. "You can keep quiet so that I can talk, please and thank you."

The detective shut his mouth firmly.

"Thank you. Now," continued Lauren, "what I was going to say is that I found a way to connect Marks to the crimes."

"And what might that be?" asked Aaron.

"I got Garcia to cross reference the victims with Marks to see if they knew each other beforehand. The only thing I could find was that each man went to a therapist within a period of six months. The victims went because of their strip club addiction. But Marks went for what was labelled 'personal'. I called the therapist, Dr. Amanda Clarence, to see if she could explain why he was there."

"They can't break doctor-patient confidentiality, though," remarked David.

"They can if it helps an ongoing investigation- I checked," said Lauren. "Once I explained why I was calling her to begin with, she revealed that he had confessed to the murders. She thought that he wasn't serious because he didn't seem like a killer."

"That'll do," said Derek. "That's our missing link."

"Garcia also sent you guys his home address to your phones," concluded Lauren.

"Let's go get him, then," said the detective.

"And Lauren," began Aaron.

"Yes, sir?"

"You're coming out into the field."

"Yes, sir."

_Oh, my God,_ thought Lauren. _This is actually going to happen now._

* * *

**There ya go! I hope you all enjoyed it. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it was bound to happen. ;P**

**Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 9! :D**

_ Elizabeth_


End file.
